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The course, in 3D

Detroit Free Press Marathon

Detroit, MI · Sunday, October 18, 2026

Detroit Free Press Marathon official site →registration and course details
Race day
Sunday, October 18, 2026
Climb
422 fttotal ascent
Race-week weather
46°F to 60°Ften-year normals, 38% of days wet

Fly the course

All 26.2 miles through a model of Detroit built from OpenStreetMap: real building footprints, heights and roof shapes, the water, and the course line itself. Scrub it, switch cameras, or let it play.

Route statustraced from the course file the race itself publishes. Google My Maps '2026 Detroit Free Press Marathon' linked from freepmarathon.com/course-maps/. KML downloads (145 KB); contains a 'Marathon' LineString layer: 354 pts, measured 42.49 km / 26.40 mi, dips to lat 42.30 confirming the Windsor, Ontario loop. Also has Start Line placemark, every mile marker, and separate Intl Half / Motor City Half layers.

Course line traced from the course file the race itself publishes. Google My Maps '2026 Detroit Free Press Marathon' linked from freepmarathon.com/course-maps/. KML downloads (145 KB); contains a 'Marathon' LineString layer: 354 pts, measured 42.49 km / 26.40 mi, dips to lat 42.30 confirming the Windsor, Ontario loop. Also has Start Line placemark, every mile marker, and separate Intl Half / Motor City Half layers. Buildings, roads, parks and shorelines are OpenStreetMap, ODbL, so building coverage varies block to block. Public-domain USGS/USDA aerial imagery and USGS 3DEP terrain are served as static site assets; no paid map API runs in the browser. This is photographic terrain with modeled architecture, not photogrammetry. Bridge approaches, elevations and facade details remain approximate. The organizer's published route is the reference.

Accuracy check: drawn line is within 0.5% of the certified 26.2 miles; 2 samples still cross a mapped building and are unresolved; 95% of it sits on a mapped road; closest it ever comes to a building wall is 0.0 m.

Known issue with this course file: Fixed. The source KML traced the course backwards, which put the Ambassador Bridge at mile 23 and the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel at mile 19. The trace has been reversed and the mile markers re-measured, so the bridge into Canada now falls at mile 3 and the Underwater Mile comes back beneath the river at mile 8, which is the race as it is actually run. Climb and descent totals were swapped by the same error and have been recomputed.

The elevation profile

520 540 560 580 600 620 640 660 680 Mile 0.0 to 0.2: -0.3% Mile 0.2 to 0.4: -0.2% Mile 0.4 to 0.6: -0.2% Mile 0.6 to 0.8: -0.9% Mile 0.8 to 1.0: -0.2% Mile 1.0 to 1.2: -0.1% Mile 1.2 to 1.4: +0.8% Mile 1.4 to 1.6: +0.1% Mile 1.6 to 1.8: -0.7% Mile 1.8 to 2.0: +0.2% Mile 2.0 to 2.2: +0.2% Mile 2.2 to 2.4: +0.1% Mile 2.4 to 2.6: +0.1% Mile 2.6 to 2.8: +0.1% Mile 2.8 to 3.0: +0.2% Mile 3.0 to 3.2: +0.1% Mile 3.2 to 3.4: +0.1% Mile 3.4 to 3.6: +0.1% Mile 3.6 to 3.8: +0.2% Mile 3.8 to 4.0: -0.3% Mile 4.0 to 4.2: +0.1% Mile 4.2 to 4.4: -0.1% Mile 4.4 to 4.6: -1.1% Mile 4.6 to 4.8: +0.4% Mile 4.8 to 5.0: +0.1% Mile 5.0 to 5.2: -0.0% Mile 5.2 to 5.4: +0.2% Mile 5.4 to 5.6: +0.1% Mile 5.6 to 5.8: +0.1% Mile 5.8 to 6.0: +0.3% Mile 6.0 to 6.2: -0.1% Mile 6.2 to 6.4: +0.0% Mile 6.4 to 6.6: +0.1% Mile 6.6 to 6.8: +0.2% Mile 6.8 to 7.0: -0.2% Mile 7.0 to 7.2: -0.0% Mile 7.2 to 7.4: -0.4% Mile 7.4 to 7.6: -1.6% Mile 7.6 to 7.8: +0.0% Mile 7.8 to 8.0: +0.3% Mile 8.0 to 8.2: +0.1% Mile 8.2 to 8.4: +1.0% Mile 8.4 to 8.6: -0.1% Mile 8.6 to 8.8: -0.6% Mile 8.8 to 9.0: -0.2% Mile 9.0 to 9.2: +0.1% Mile 9.2 to 9.4: -0.0% Mile 9.4 to 9.6: +0.3% Mile 9.6 to 9.8: -0.2% Mile 9.8 to 10.0: -0.4% Mile 10.0 to 10.2: +1.0% Mile 10.2 to 10.4: +0.1% Mile 10.4 to 10.6: +0.3% Mile 10.6 to 10.8: +0.3% Mile 10.8 to 11.0: +0.2% Mile 11.0 to 11.2: -0.0% Mile 11.2 to 11.4: +0.2% Mile 11.4 to 11.6: -0.3% Mile 11.6 to 11.8: -0.1% Mile 11.8 to 12.0: -0.2% Mile 12.0 to 12.2: +0.1% Mile 12.2 to 12.4: -0.2% Mile 12.4 to 12.6: -0.2% Mile 12.6 to 12.8: +0.3% Mile 12.8 to 13.0: +0.1% Mile 13.0 to 13.2: +0.1% Mile 13.2 to 13.4: +0.1% Mile 13.4 to 13.6: -0.1% Mile 13.6 to 13.8: +0.2% Mile 13.8 to 14.0: -0.1% Mile 14.0 to 14.2: -0.3% Mile 14.2 to 14.4: -0.1% Mile 14.4 to 14.6: -0.2% Mile 14.6 to 14.8: -0.3% Mile 14.8 to 15.0: -0.2% Mile 15.0 to 15.2: -0.3% Mile 15.2 to 15.4: +0.1% Mile 15.4 to 15.6: +1.1% Mile 15.6 to 15.8: -0.3% Mile 15.8 to 16.0: +0.2% Mile 16.0 to 16.2: +0.1% Mile 16.2 to 16.4: +0.3% Mile 16.4 to 16.6: -0.0% Mile 16.6 to 16.8: -0.1% Mile 16.8 to 17.0: +0.1% Mile 17.0 to 17.2: +0.4% Mile 17.2 to 17.4: -0.1% Mile 17.4 to 17.6: +0.0% Mile 17.6 to 17.8: -0.7% Mile 17.8 to 18.0: -0.8% Mile 18.0 to 18.2: -0.8% Mile 18.2 to 18.4: -0.9% Mile 18.4 to 18.6: -0.9% Mile 18.6 to 18.8: -0.1% Mile 18.8 to 19.0: +0.0% Mile 19.0 to 19.2: +0.0% Mile 19.2 to 19.4: +0.0% Mile 19.4 to 19.6: -0.0% Mile 19.6 to 19.8: -0.1% Mile 19.8 to 20.0: +0.0% Mile 20.0 to 20.2: +0.2% Mile 20.2 to 20.4: +0.1% Mile 20.4 to 20.6: -0.1% Mile 20.6 to 20.8: +0.1% Mile 20.8 to 21.0: -0.0% Mile 21.0 to 21.2: +0.2% Mile 21.2 to 21.4: +0.1% Mile 21.4 to 21.6: +0.2% Mile 21.6 to 21.8: -0.1% Mile 21.8 to 22.0: -0.0% Mile 22.0 to 22.2: -0.1% Mile 22.2 to 22.4: -0.1% Mile 22.4 to 22.6: -0.1% Mile 22.6 to 22.8: -0.1% Mile 22.8 to 23.0: +0.3% Mile 23.0 to 23.2: +0.0% Mile 23.2 to 23.4: -0.2% Mile 23.4 to 23.6: -0.1% Mile 23.6 to 23.8: -0.1% Mile 23.8 to 24.0: +0.0% Mile 24.0 to 24.2: +0.1% Mile 24.2 to 24.4: +0.2% Mile 24.4 to 24.6: +0.1% Mile 24.6 to 24.8: -0.1% Mile 24.8 to 25.0: +0.1% Mile 25.0 to 25.2: +0.3% Mile 25.2 to 25.4: -0.1% Mile 25.4 to 25.6: +0.2% Mile 25.6 to 25.8: -0.1% Mile 25.8 to 26.0: +0.1% Mile 26.0 to 26.2: -0.1% 5 10 15 20 25 mile
steep up up flat down steep down

422 feet of total climb across the 26.2, between 564 and 638 feet of elevation. Click the profile to jump the flythrough to that mile.

Mile by mile

Every mile of the course on the same vertical scale, so they compare at a glance. Net is what the mile does to your elevation; steepest fifth is the sharpest continuous fifth of a mile inside it, the same unit the colour strip above uses.

MileShapeNetElevation Steepest fifthStreets
1-11 ft590 ft-0.8%West Fort Street, Fort Street West
2-2 ft587 ft-0.7%West Fort Street, West Grand Boulevard
3+9 ft599 ft+0.3%Ambassador Bridge
4+3 ft603 ft-0.4%Ambassador Bridge, Huron Church Road
5-11 ft594 ft-1.1%Huron Church Road, Riverside Drive East
6+3 ft596 ft+0.3%Riverside Drive East
7+1 ft598 ft-0.3%Riverside Drive East, University Avenue East, Ouellette Avenue
8-16 ft582 ft-1.9%Detroit-Windsor Tunnel, Freedom Way, Park Street East
9+16 ft600 ft+1.4%Washington Boulevard, West Jefferson Service Drive, East Jefferson Avenue
10-2 ft597 ft-0.4%Woodward Avenue, Fisher Drive West, Washington Boulevard
11+23 ft621 ft+1.1%2nd Avenue, Temple Street, Ledyard Street
12-2 ft619 ft-0.2%West Forest Avenue, 3rd Street, Commonwealth Street
13+2 ft620 ft-0.4%Avery Street, West Alexandrine Street, West Canfield Street
14+6 ft627 ft+0.3%West Warren Avenue, Avery Street, Cass Avenue
15-15 ft612 ft-0.4%Cass Avenue
16+7 ft619 ft-0.9%Beaubien Street, Fisher Drive West, Cass Avenue
17+2 ft621 ft+0.1%Wilkins Street, Russell Street, Winder Street
18-6 ft615 ft-0.7%Orleans Street, Mack Avenue
19-21 ft599 ft-0.8%East Lafayette Street, Saint Aubin Street
20-4 ft595 ft-0.2%East Lafayette Street
21+4 ft600 ft+0.2%Agnes Street, East Lafayette Street, Townsend Street
22+4 ft604 ft+0.3%Seminole Street, Burns Street, Goethe Street
23-4 ft600 ft-0.4%Burns Street, East Lafayette Street, Iroquois Street
24-4 ft596 ft-0.2%East Lafayette Street
25+3 ft599 ft+0.2%East Lafayette Street
26+3 ft599 ft+0.3%East Lafayette Street, East Larned Street, Beaubien Street

The course on a map

1 5 10 13 15 20 25 26

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Detroit Free Press Marathon planning

Open the complete race guide: course, hotels, expo, spectators and the city.

Course geometry traced from the course file the race itself publishes. City geometry is OpenStreetMap, ODbL. Weather normals are ten years of Open-Meteo reanalysis around race day at the start line. Confirm dates and registration on the official site. Spot an error? Tell us and we'll fix it fast.